'The priest doesn't eat rice every day'*

We have stated many times before that his political algorithm is entirely focused on winning elections and staying in power.

We now know that he uses whatever he thinks will gain political traction without hesitation, and when he cannot use it, he exploits it ruthlessly.

We have witnessed this dozens, perhaps hundreds of times since 2002.

He knows that this resonates, especially among his own voters and the conservative, pious segments of society.

That is why he is very adept at finding ways to twist current developments—which he weighs with the precision of a jeweler's scale—to his own advantage.

Let us give credit where it is due here.

For instance, when international success is achieved in sports, the massive propaganda machine kicks into gear; with the amplification of the sycophantic press and social media trolls, a perception is pumped into the people of this country as if, had it not been for Him, Turkey could never have achieved such success.

It is not just in sports; his strategy is the same even in security matters that concern the survival of the country.

Whenever the Turkish Armed Forces launch a cross-border operation, he inevitably puts on his uniform within three days, appears before the cameras with the air of a triumphant 'Commander-in-Chief,' and indulges in extreme rhetoric.

He is able to claim credit for any success Turkey achieves, in any field, without hesitation. He makes full use of the political capital he gains from this during election periods.

However, let us open a brief parenthesis and underline with a thick marker that this strategy must not contradict the paradigm of the religious segment. For instance, our female volleyball players, who cause allergies among political Islamists with their modern, republican, and Kemalist attitudes and stances, were treated like outsiders by the state despite becoming world champions.

The recent European Football Championship was also going to be a magnificent opportunity to repair the charisma damaged by the defeat in the local elections; to make people forget the economic crisis, inflation, the cost of living, the problems caused by refugees, the rot in the justice system, the collapse of the healthcare system, and the new curriculum that mimics a medieval mentality in education, all of which he knowingly and willingly caused.

However, the National Team did what was difficult in its own way and lost to the Netherlands.

Yet, His Excellency had not taken any risks during the group matches, had waited until the match where the semi-finalists would be determined, and had not gone to Germany.

Having chased after the leather ball in his youth, and with his own 'football literacy' He must have somewhat guessed that even if Turkey reached the semi-finals, it had no chance of advancing to the final.

If the National Team had performed as it did in the Austria match, it could have won against the Netherlands.

He did not ignore the advice of his sycophantic team at the Palace; he could have used the national enthusiasm that would have hit the ceiling in the event of a possible victory for his own benefit.

Taking his dear wife and his son Bilal with him, he flew to Berlin to "support the National Team." He took his place in the stands.

But the plans made at home did not match the reality of the marketplace.

The National Team lost the match 2-1 after finishing the first half 1-0 ahead.

If they had won, we would have been forced to watch this event being blown out of proportion for hours on TRT-1 before we could even fully enjoy our victory.

Even if he didn't do it directly, the sycophantic, bootlicking crowd he brought with him on the plane would have attributed this success to His Excellency, and the National Team, which is embraced by almost everyone in the country from 7 to 70, would have been subjected to a massive propaganda machine that would make Goebbels look like an amateur, all in an effort to polish his image.

They were going to inflate it more and more.

I am not even counting those who would talk about his good luck, the effect of his spiritual support on the players, and how the infidel Europeans were crushed by his appearance in the stands.

When Turkey lost, the issue lost its steam.

But he still didn't lose heart; on the way back, he said the penalty UEFA gave to Merih Demiral was political, claimed the referee didn't give us a penalty, and expressed that the expatriates in the stands moved him deeply.

He sent a subtle greeting to his voters through national and spiritual sensitivities.

The calculation to take a significant share of the credit for the National Team's success with a victory in the Netherlands match did not work out, and in fact, the exact opposite atmosphere emerged afterward.

Social media was buzzing again, but not in the way His Excellency wanted and expected.

The people of my country, with their unique sense of humor, practically opened fire with salvos.

Comments regarding his supposed bad luck have spiraled out of control.

There were even those who provided statistics on how many national matches we lost while he was watching.

The famous line from the 1973 film 'Ver Allahım Ver', “The sun eclipsed the day you were born, the stream dried up when you were forty days old, you arrived at the threshing floor, and the harvest caught fire” voiced by Alev Emre, was shared over and over again.

The son also got his share of this.

The footage captured by amateur cameras after the national team scored a goal seems likely to overshadow his famous saying, “As if explaining it to Bilal...”

In short, in this country, “the animal is sweating, it’s not eating anymore”

Perception management only goes so far.

The situation has reached a breaking point.

Aside from those fed by political Islamists in exchange for votes, the vast majority of our people are struggling to survive at the poverty line. Turkey is experiencing the greatest economic and social crisis in the history of the Republic.

No matter what they do, it seems Goebbels-esque tactics will not be very effective from now on, and with that, we conclude our article.

* This proverb indicates that the same thing will not always be repeated or that the same opportunities will not always be available. It expresses that a good or positive situation may not be experienced continuously and that there may be different situations and opportunities.